1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a slot machine with an insurance function and a control method thereof.
2. Discussion of the Background
Conventionally, in a facility where a gaming machine such as a slot machine is installed, a variety of game media such as coins or cash are inserted into the slot machine to play a game. Each slot machine is configured to conduct a payout according to a winning state (game result) occurring along with progression of games.
In a casino where a plurality of gaming machines are installed, a so-called “jackpot” is adopted where part of credits consumed in each gaming machine is reserved, and when the reserved amount reaches a certain amount, an amount too large to be paid out according to normal winning is paid out to any of the gaming machines. In such a gaming machine, in the normal case, each winning occurs with its set probability, and the player carries on a game with expectation that the winning will occur. The jackpot winning occurs on any of the gaming machines at a certain timing according to a determination different from the normal winning determination based on the probability set in each gaming machine.
Further, among the conventional gaming machines, there has been a gaming machine in which a profit is returned to the player playing a game on the gaming machine when his or her loss of game media has reached a certain amount.
Examples of such a gaming machine with profit-returning function are disclosed in: U.S. Pat. No. 5,820,459, U.S. Pat. No. 6,695,697, US 2003/0069073-A1, EP 1192975-A, U.S. Pat. No. 6,254,483, U.S. Pat. No. 5,611,730, U.S. Pat. No. 5,639,088, U.S. Pat. No. 6,257,981, U.S. Pat. No. 6,234,896, U.S. Pat. No. 6,001,016, U.S. Pat. No. 6,273,820, U.S. Pat. No. 6,224,482, U.S. Pat. No. 4,669,731, U.S. Pat. No. 6,244,957, U.S. Pat. No. 5,910,048, U.S. Pat. No. 5,695,402, U.S. Pat. No. 6,003,013, U.S. Pat. No. 4,283,709, EP 0631798-A, DE 4137010-A1, GB 2326830-A, DE 3712841-A1, U.S. Pat. No. 4,964,638, U.S. Pat. No. 6,089,980, U.S. Pat. No. 5,280,909, U.S. Pat. No. 5,702,303, U.S. Pat. No. 6,270,409, U.S. Pat. No. 5,770,533, U.S. Pat. No. 5,836,817, U.S. Pat. No. 6,932,704, U.S. Pat. No. 6,932,707, U.S. Pat. No. 4,837,728, EP 1302914-A, U.S. Pat. No. 4,624,459, U.S. Pat. No. 5,564,700, WO 03/083795-A, DE 3242890-A1, EP 0840264-A, DE 10049444-A1, WO 04/095383-A, EP 1544811-A, U.S. Pat. No. 5,890,963, EP 1477947-A, and EP 1351180-A.
However, the player being able to receive the profit of “jackpot” in the conventional slot machines has been the player playing on the slot machine having a jackpot winning generated therein. Therefore, cases could happen that a player having consumed a large number of coins is not able to receive the profit of “jackpot” but a player having just started playing games receives the profit of “jackpot”. Generation of such a situation could cause the player having consumed a large number of coins to mount senses of discomfort and mistrust in the game and lose an interest and a concern in the game.
Moreover, a slot machine has conventionally existed in which a profit is returned to the player playing a game on the slot machine when his or her loss of game media has reached a certain amount (for example, see U.S. Pat. No. 5,910,048). However, in such a slot machine, the player can gain a returned profit if the amount of loss increases, even when he or she has not gained a profit in the game; thus, conversely, a player having gained a profit in the game could have the sense of unfairness and lose an interest and a concern in the game.
The present invention has been completed considering the above described problems, and the object is to provide a slot machine and a game control method which are capable of preventing a player who has consumed a large number of game media, such as coins, from mounting senses of discomfort and mistrust in the game and losing an interest and a concern in the game, while preventing a player gaining a profit in the game from having a sense of unfairness.
The contents of U.S. Pat. No. 5,820,459, U.S. Pat. No. 6,695,697, US 2003/0069073-A1, EP 1192975-A, U.S. Pat. No. 6,254,483, U.S. Pat. No. 5,611,730, U.S. Pat. No. 5,639,088, U.S. Pat. No. 6,257,981, U.S. Pat. No. 6,234,896, U.S. Pat. No. 6,001,016, U.S. Pat. No. 6,273,820, U.S. Pat. No. 6,224,482, U.S. Pat. No. 4,669,731, U.S. Pat. No. 6,244,957, U.S. Pat. No. 5,910,048, U.S. Pat. No. 5,695,402, U.S. Pat. No. 6,003,013, U.S. Pat. No. 4,283,709, EP 0631798-A, DE 4137010-A1, GB 2326830-A, DE 3712841-A1, U.S. Pat. No. 4,964,638, U.S. Pat. No. 6,089,980, U.S. Pat. No. 5,280,909, U.S. Pat. No. 5,702,303, U.S. Pat. No. 6,270,409, U.S. Pat. No. 5,770,533, U.S. Pat. No. 5,836,817, U.S. Pat. No. 6,932,704, U.S. Pat. No. 6,932,707, U.S. Pat. No. 4,837,728, EP 1302914-A, U.S. Pat. No. 4,624,459, U.S. Pat. No. 5,564,700, WO 03/083795-A, DE 3242890-A1, EP 0840264-A, DE 10049444-A1, WO 04/095383-A, EP 1544811-A, U.S. Pat. No. 5,890,963, EP 1477947-A, and EP 1351180-A are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.